


The Return

by Chroniclerofthelosttales



Series: Good Things Come to Those Who Wait [1]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-17
Updated: 2014-01-17
Packaged: 2018-01-09 00:54:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1139528
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chroniclerofthelosttales/pseuds/Chroniclerofthelosttales
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The citizens of Storybrooke are back in the enchanted forest. Neal's history with Emma is revealed and they meet some old friends.</p>
<p>     He watched the yellow vessel as it moved further out of his sight, his vision becoming shrouded by the purple mist that enveloped them. He strained his eyes, it was almost gone now, and he felt his arm raise as if to grab the vessel, beg it not to go. Unbidden, he felt himself take a few steps forward, he wished to drag it back so that he may relieve it of its precious cargo and.....and it was gone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Return

**Author's Note:**

> One of many adventures had in the Enchanted Forest after the curse. There will be more but not necessarily in chronological order

            He watched the yellow vessel as it moved further out of his sight, his vision becoming shrouded by the purple mist that enveloped them. He strained his eyes, it was almost gone now, and he felt his arm raise as if to grab the vessel, beg it not to go. Unbidden, he felt himself take a few steps forward, he wished to drag it back so that he may relieve it of its precious cargo and.....and it was gone. The fog had become thick and he could no longer see, could no longer breathe. For a short eternity the purple fog seemed to be the whole world until slowly it started to thin out and suddenly it was gone, as if it had never been. But then so was the road, and the yellow Bug, but most importantly...so was Emma. He still couldn't breathe.

            The road that had once been had been replaced by grass, and they seemed to have ended up in a large clearing. Trees encircled them from all sides, and though the forest did not seem threatening, it was not quite welcoming. "Were back." the heavy silence was broken by Snow's soft voice. He tuned to face her just in time to see her face fall and she wept silently into her hands. David's arms came up to wrap around her and he buried his face into her now long hair, tears streaming down his cheek. Hook quickly turned away- looked at the grass, the grey sky- but not them. He couldn't bare to see his own pain reflected in their eyes.

            His fingers rested on the bridge of his nose and he tried to steady his breathing, his whirling mind, his aching heart, trying not to think of her- Emma, - but he had too. He promised. 

            "So what's the plan?" His voice cracked slightly and he had startled even himself by speaking.

"What plan?" David asked, momentarily surprised out of his grieving.

"The plan to find Emma." He omitted the _of course_ he was thinking from the end of the sentence. Both David and Snow opened their mouths to reply but were cut short by Regina. 

            "You can't". She had been silent for a long while, her sobs had not been audible but her eyes were red and her face was tear stained.

"Try to contain your optimism, would you love?" Hook didn't have time for her cynicism, he needed to get back Emma. Now.

"No, I mean- you just _can't_ ".

            The beginnings of fear began to clutch at his chest and suddenly he couldn't breathe again.

            "Regina, what do you mean _can't_ " Snow voiced his thoughts. 

            Her head dropped and she seemed to be studying the grass. A bad sign indeed. Neal had come to join them from where he had been standing with Belle's arm in his and Tink hovering just behind. 

            "Regina?" David's voice was impatient and held a twinge of fear. She sighed as she prepared her thoughts. When she answered her voice was strained and filled with sorrow and regret. "You can never, never, find Emma or Henry, because they don't remember any of us. The curse, it took their memories away and replaced it with new ones, happy memories, and we can't take that away from them." 

            Hook staggered back as if he had taken a physical blow to the chest. _Emma, oh Emma, Emma, my love._ He couldn't think straight, couldn't breathe, could hardly stand. It didn't pain him so much that Emma wouldn't remember him, their shared moments that he hoped meant as much to her as it did to him. What pained him most was that she was forced to live a lie, no matter how happy the lie seemed that was what it was. _She doesn't deserve this_. He drew his hand across his face lost in his dark thoughts. Snow and Regina were sobbing again. Their muffled sounds were the only sounds to be heard but under that pitiful sound...

            "Thank heavens." a hardly audible voice whispered. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled at the words and he whipped around in time to see Neal run his hand through his hair, looking slightly... _relieved?_

"What do you mean ' _thank heavens',_ mate?" he couldn't help the hostility that had edged its way into his voice.

            "What? Oh...it's...nothing." he tried to play it off casually but he caught his hesitation.

            "No. He has a point, what do you mean?" Charming demanded of him. Hook resisted saying something about them getting along now, it wasn't the time for that. Instead he pointedly glared at Neal, waiting for his answer.

            Neal ran his fingers through his hair, looking at the ground, the sky...anything but them. Guilt was etched into his every movement. "Hey, you know what? She doesn't remember anymore so it doesn't really matter ok?"

            "No. Us and Storybrooke, she wont remember. Her memories are only changed from the moment she decided to give up Henry. You, she remembers perfectly." Regina's voice was icy as she explained.

"But you said you gave her happy memories!" he complained.

This statement raised the anger Hook was struggling to contain, "Then tell me mate, what memories of you does she have that she wouldn't be happy about?" 

            "I don't have to answer to you, you're not part of this."

            "Then answer to me!" David growled, his tone threatening and dangerous. "There's a reason she didn't want to be with you and I want to hear it. Same question."

Neal raised his arms as if to ward off the bigger man. "Alright, alright. You deserve to know." He sighed once again and looked as if he was preparing to leap off a cliff. He wondered if that would be a less terrifying option. 

            "Twelve years ago I met Emma when she stole a car that I had already stolen and somehow, after that we became friends. We lived on the road together, robbing convenience stores and we did good for ourselves -for thieves. We decided we wanted to get a place together in Tallahassee. Only I found a wanted poster of me. I had stolen some really expensive watches from this place I worked at three years before and I needed to get out of the country. She wanted to come with me but I told her she couldn't. It was too risky. But then she said... she said she loved me, and I didn't want to leave her."

            Hooks eyes closed upon hearing those words. He had all but told her that he loved her himself and it hurt that she had said it to Neal, this -person- he thought did not deserve her love...but then again, neither did he, not by a long shot.  And no matter how long ago it was... well, love didn't die so easy or quickly, he knew. Neal began to speak again. 

            "So anyways we hatched a plan. I had hidden the watches in a train station and Emma was supposed to go get them and bring them out so I could sell them. We kept one of the watches and I told Emma to wear it so she wouldn't be late to where we were supposed to meet after I sold the others. I went so sell the watches and August- Pinocchio,- found me on the way and told me I had to leave Emma so that she could fulfill her destiny or whatever. I was messing up the plan or something he said."

            _Bloody hell he was!_

            "So I left to Canada... and August left a tip telling the cops where Emma was going to be and that she would have one of the watches on her. Two months later he found me and told me she got eleven months in a women's facility in Phoenix..." he trailed off with a shrug.

            Rage. Blind, bloody rage. Hook advanced towards him with the intent of punching him in the face and might have even gone as far as to stab him with the hook in his uncontrollable anger if the prince hadn't beaten him to it. 

            Neal cringed in surprise and staggered with the force of David's swing. There was a moment of shocked silence that followed the sudden outburst of violence. His arm raised for another punch for good measure but Snow stopped him. "Wait! David, no! We can't start our lives here like this!" His arm lowered and he looked back at Snow with a defeated face. 

            But her words were lost on Hook. He wouldn't let Neal get away that easily after all he had put _his_ beloved Swan through. With his good hand he aggressively grabbed a fistful of his tunic and held his hook a hair's breadth away from his throat. Neal tried to push him away but was practically dangling in his grasp. "You left her!? In a godforsaken rat-hole!? To waste away for your crimes while you walked away unscathed!?" 

"Hey it wasn't like that- and it was for her own good!" his voice bordered on panic.

            Hook's voice dropped dangerously low as he inched closer,  more terrifying then when he had been yelling moments before. "You're the cause of all her pain, aren't you? Her fear of abandonment comes from you, mate, all your talk of fighting for her is just that- talk. You were to much of a coward to fight for her. It's your fault she's scared- why she refuses to trust anyone, to let anyone in-" he stopped as realization dawned on him. _Why she was afraid to trust me. To believe anyone could love her._ This little rat had cost him his last chance at love and redemption, happiness...."I'm done with you," he said flatly, shoving him aside. Neal landed with a huff next to Belle who helped him up. Hook abruptly left, shoving his way past Tink (who had her wand raised in case he went to far) and made his way into the forest with his head down and fist clenched tightly to his side as he tried to control his whirling emotions. He needed time to reflect upon these recent events on his own, to blow off steam, to lose himself in a bottle of rum. Had he not needed his hand to brush aside the thick foliage he would have already had the flask out.

                                                                    

                                                                ***

            

"Look," Neal said as he dusted himself off. " I know I have a lot to answer for. It was a low moment, and I truly am sorry." Charming nodded just to acknowledge him but he was far from forgiven. Snow, the voice of reason spoke up. "Listen, there's a bunch of unresolved things going on right now, and be sure, we will deal with you later, but right know is not the time. The first thing we need to do is figure out where we are and where to find the other citizens of Storybrooke."

            "Oh, I could fly up and look for anything familiar!" Tink offered eagerly. 

            "That would be great, thank you Tinkerbell." Snow turned back to the rest of the rag-tag, downcast group with a heavy sigh. "Grumpy, could you and the dwarves go in search of other townspeople, tell them we're here?"

 "We're on it. Come on boys, back to work." They stalked their way into the forest back the way they supposed town must have been. 

            "I suppose we will have to make camp here tonight." Snow sighed to the remainder of the group. The clearing was certainly large enough for any townspeople who made it back and their yelling hadn't attracted ogres so it must be a relatively safe spot.

            "I'll gather some firewood." Charming stated, drawing his sword as he made his way to the closest tree.

            "No need." Regina waved her arm and a fully set, though sparse campsite appeared out of a purple haze. "I'm too tired for any work or waiting around." she said shortly and disappeared into the only tent. "Not that she would have actually done anything." Snow commented. Charming gave a halfhearted smile and brought over two bedrolls from a pile. "Well, its not dark yet but maybe we should get some rest while we can. We're going to have a lot of work to do around here for the next, well, while."

"Yes, I suppose so." Snow murmured as she folded out her bedroll. Belle and Neal did the same on the other side of the fire and Granny already had her crossbow at the ready, preparing for the worst, as always.

            Tink chose that moment to drift down from her scouting expedition and landed awkwardly and she became her full size. "Out of practice." she explained. 

            Snow smiled at the fairy "Any news?"

            "About half a days walk from here, it looks like there's a castle built on the edge of a large lake. To the west" She pointed in the direction of the setting sun.

            "That must be the summer palace!" Snow exclaimed. "Home..." she sighed sadly. "Thank you, Tink." The green fairy simply nodded and excused herself to find her own bedroll. (She set up next to Neal -and Belle of course.)

            "Well at least we know where we are." she told Charming.

            "When we make our way over there we can open up the castle for any refugees. The dwarves will have to start the rebuilding right away though." he replied. Snow had informed him about the state of their castle from the last visit. She thought about the ruined walls of Emma's nursery, remembered her confession, how she had been searching for them her hole life and now she was without them again. It brought tears to her eyes and she tried not to let them fall...But now she had Henry and she hoped that would help ease her daughters pain. This lightened her mood slightly and she remembered something else from the last trip that needed some attention. "Should someone go find Hook?" she asked her husband. He looked up, a little surprised out of his own thoughts, "Um no." he stood and wrapped his arm around her. "He'll come back when he's ready. If we make him come back any sooner he might actually strangle Neal." She murmured to herself that she wouldn't mind if he did and might even encourage it. "Wait, what makes you so sure he'll come back anyways?"

            "Simple. He's got no where else to go."

            "Ah." is all she said. She would have told him all the many places he could possibly disappear to but was interrupted as Granny called out a warning. David drew his sword and Snow looked around for a bow but Granny had already unleashed an arrow into the thickets. They stood in silence, waiting to see if anything would bound out of the forest ready to attack, but they were greeted with silence. "I might have hit it." Granny said, lowering her crossbow, but the moment she did they heard a whir, and an arrow came from the direction Granny had shot and landed between David's feet. He stumbled back in surprise as more arrows sprang out to hit the same mark. "Get back! We're under attack!"

                                                                  ***

 

            Hook continued to thrash his way through the bushes until he found a small area that was not so dense with foliage. A bird fluttered out of the bushes as he entered, frightened by his unsubtle presence. Hook sighed and closed his eyes as he leaned his forehead against a tree, stabbing the bark with his hook and dragging it down so it left a long white scar along its trunk. With his hand he reached back to where he kept his flask and brought it to his lips, more then ready to drown himself with its emotion numbing properties. Only he was already numb. His hand stilled he and found that he couldn't bring himself to drink any of it. He chuckled grimly to himself and slumped to the ground with his back against the tree, resting his arm on his right knee, flask in hand. 

            Staring at the half empty bottle he thought back to the times he had shared a drink with Emma, from this same flask. And a coconut. He smiled sadly. He remembered how she had taken it with a smile, grateful that he had thought of her. He wondered if in that moment she had thought of him as more than a pirate, but perhaps a friend, someone she would trust with her life even.

            Lost in thought he did not hear a branch snap to his left. Didn't know there was any danger near until he heard the sound of steel being drawn out of a scabbard and had a sword pressed against his neck.

            He flinched and closed his eyes, ready for it to slice through his flesh. When it didn't he looked up the blade to the person holding it and laughed. It was the warrior girl that had traveled with his lovely Swan. 

            "Hook." she stated, her voice steely. 

            "Nice of you to notice." he said waving it in the air. "And to what do I owe this lovely surprise?" he asked with a grin that didn't meet his eyes. He didn't like the intrusion of his alone time. The warrior held him with her deadpan gaze and didn't answer but asked a question of her own. "Where's Cora? And tell me what happened to Snow White and her daughter."

            "Well you'll be glad to hear that Cora is no longer among the living." He said with a fake pout. "And as for the Princess, she happens to be down that way with others, recently returned from another realm." He motioned in the direction he had come from.    "What about Emma?" He lost his smirk and looked away.

            "Gone." he said simply.

            Mulan regarded him momentarily, wondering if it was indeed sorrow she had heard in his voice, and if that was agony she had seen in his eyes before he turned away.

            "Tie him up, John. I don't believe him." She stepped back and sheathed her sword.             Hook reached for his cutlass, surprised by a large man with a wooly beard who appeared from the bushes behind her. "Don't bother. There are men with arrows drawn at you from all corners. You would be dead before your stroke fell."  

            "It doesn't do well to bluff a pirate." He said, rising and reaching for it anyways. An arrow slammed into the tree above his head.

            Hook muttered curses to himself as the man called John tied his arms behind him, laughing merrily at his misfortune. _Of all the bloody things that could have happened this day..._ "Men, fall in." Mulan ordered. Three men, all clad in greens and browns, emerged from the shadows and surrounded their prisoner. Hook glared at John as he confiscated his hook, rum, and sword. "Careful with the goods, mate." He growled.  John spilled most of the rum before finding the cork next to the tree.

            "Move." Mulan shoved him the way he had come from.

            "Oh, quite a temper love. Like things to be a little rough don't you" He said grinning

            "My temper is not the one you should be worrying about, and I suggest you remain silent." She replied and looked nodded to John.

            "Ah, you mean the trained circus bear with the clumsy paws? Well he seems to be tamed enough. The poor animal doesn't stand a chance with you as its master. If I didn't know any better I'd say it's been whip-" he was interrupted by a smart punch across his face.

            "I see what you mean." he finished scrunching up his nose to relieve the sting.

            "You were asking for it." Mulan stated matter-of-factly. He didn't respond but continued marching on, focusing on where he was stepping now that his head was ringing and his vision swam. 

            He _had_ been asking for it. For a brief moment he had been able to forget the pain in his heart by distracting himself with the pain on his face. _Just making the best of an unfortunate situation._ He thought, and continued to come up with insults. Of course if his rum hadn't been spilled he might not have needed to resort to this. But at least it was effective. By the time they had arrived at the clearing the sun had begun to set and he was stumbling over rocks and branches, more that a little disoriented. In his hazy state he almost didn't notice that the ground was littered with arrows and that his companions were no where in sight. In their stead stood a group of men surrounding a large fire, bows resting beside them and swords on their belts.  

 

                                                                ***

            Snow snatched up her bow as David deflected the flying arrows with his sword. "Regina!" She called as she knocked her bow and shot into the shadows of the forest. Nearby, Tink conjured up a magic shield protecting herself, Belle and Neal. Granny fired her crossbow, complaining that she was too old for this. The Queen pushed back the flap of  her tent and took in the scenario. A new set of arrows began to take flight and she raised her arms to the sky, letting loose a great flame that turned the arrows to ash. The black flakes drifted away as they waited for a new hail of arrows that never came. Instead a man burst into the clearing raising his arms in surrender.

            "Hold your fire!" he shouted, walking closer with his hands up. "We would like to call a truce, Princess!" 

            "Robin?" Snow shouted back, amazed.

            "Indeed it is!" he said, reaching their camp and holding out his hands in welcome. 

            They continued to greet each other enthusiastically, as old friends would. Snow introduced him to her companions and he called out to his men (twenty or so) so that they may join them. Throughout their formalities Regina slowly inched her way towards Tink, a worried look on her face.

            "Did you see it?" she whispered to the fairy.

            "What? See what?" she asked, clearly confused.

            "That man- Robin. On his arm there's..."

            "A lion tattoo..." Tink finished. "You should have Snow introduce you, Regina! I'm sure she can put in a good word for you too!" She whispered excitedly.

            "Oh like what? This is the woman I told you about, the one who killed whole villages and ruined my life? Yeah, that's a good start. And who says I want to meet him anyways?" She snatched back her arm as Tink tried to nudge her towards them.

            "Well you do Regina. Do you know that there is hope written all over your face right now? Hope of love, maybe?" she smiled.

            "What? No. I don't believe you. Enough of this." She turned around and headed back to her tent with a regal huff. The fairy rolled her eyes with a smile and joined the others.

            Neal had come up to greet Robin, clapping his arm in a friendly gesture. " Nice to see you again man."

            "I have to say, I didn't think I would be seeing you again this soon, if ever." the archer commented.

            "Yeah well, we've had some unfortunate events happen recently and it landed us back here."

            "I see. " he replied, sensing a sorrowful tale but not pressing any further. He then turned to Snow and charming. "If you accept, your majesties, I gladly offer our services in helping you become re-established in your kingdom. You do intend on reclaiming your throne don't you?"

            The two glanced at each other and nodded in union. "We gladly accept your assistance, and I believe we will." Snow answered.

            "This is excellent news! This land is in dire need of order." he mused. "My men and I will camp here along with you tonight then. I understand you also have men in the woods searching for more of your subjects. We will gladly assist."

            "Thank you, Robin." Snow sighed. "I guess David and I will start coming up with plans to rebuild the kingdom. Do you have any charts or maps?"

            "Ah, yes! I'll have one of my men assist you." he said merrily and called over one of his men. He introduced them and left, directing men into groups who headed out to complete the tasks set before them. In no time at all they had a camp set out and fires lit. A hunting party arrived with a young deer and a few hares on a spit for roasting over the fire. Everyone had settled down into what seemed the usual routine, gathering wood and buckets of water, setting up a couple of deer-hide tents or bedrolls.

             Snow and Charming were going over the maps, reacquainting themselves with familiar places and noting what was or was not as they remembered it when they heard a commotion at the edge of the camp.

            "I don't think we should trust him." Mulan was talking to Robin. Snow saw their object of conversation. A bedraggled looking Hook was on his knees between the warrior and Little John.

            "What do you suggest we do with him then?" Robin asked, eying the prisoner warily.

            "You can let him go." Snow answered before Mulan was able to speak. "He's with us."

            "Snow. I didn't think I would see you here." She said, slightly shocked.

            "I bloody told you she would be here." Hook growled, shrugging away from her hold on his shoulder and struggling to stand.

            "You look a little worse for wear, mate." David commented to the pirate.

            "Are you saying my good looks would fail me this time?" He asked quirking his eyebrow.

            "I'm saying they don't do you any good." The prince replied.

            "Well that's a downright lie, mate . Now if anyone wouldn't mind, I'd really like to use my hands again." He said, moving his arms behind his back. 

            "Hand." David said as he grabbing a dagger and cut the ropes. Hook moved his wrist in a circular motion, trying to ease the soreness and get the blood flowing again. "How nice of you to remind me, mate." He said, and grabbed his belongings back from Little John and drank what was left of his rum in one swig. 

            "And here we thought that bottle was endless." Charming said as he saw the last drop fall onto the grass.

            "Well now that there's no Jolly Roger I won't be able to refill it as usual." Hook said, scoping the area for his ship as if it were docked nearby. The two continued to talk about lighter subjects, doing their best to ignore what the other's were talking about.

            "If Hook was telling the truth about you being here then I must also assume that he spoke true about Emma." Mulan spoke to Snow. The Princess bowed her head with that pained smile she sometimes wears. "What did he say?" She asked forcefully.

            "He failed to give any details, just that she was gone..." She trailed off with the unspoken question to what really happened.

            Snow laughed bitterly. "Yes. Emma is not here with us. And now we may never see her or Henry ever again."

            "Henry?" Robin interrupted. "Is this the same lad that our friend Neal was trying to find on his last visit here?"

            "The one and the same." Snow replied sadly. Mulan rested a hand on her shoulder and shook it encouragingly. " You must not give up hope that you will see them again. If your love is strong enough you will find a way back."

            "It's a little more complicated then that." Snow said weakly. Sensing that she wanted to change the subject Robin declared that it was time to eat, ushering all to surround the fire. The dwarves arrived with a few other citizens, Archie and the Blue Fairy included, just in time to join them for the meal. 

            Though Robin's men ate heartily and laughed merrily there was not much cheer among the citizens of Storybrooke. Regina had not come out to join them, only Tink knew the full reason why, and Snow leaned her head against her husbands shoulder, seeking comfort. Hook stared into the fire, lost in thought. The flames dancing in the reflection of his eyes. The Dwarves didn't whistle or jeer at each other as they usually did, and Neal and Belle seemed to be discussing something quietly among themselves. 

            "We have lots of work to do." Snow said to her husband. He nodded and looked up towards the stars. 

            "Tomorrow is a new day." He replied. "A new day, and new beginnings. We'll make it through, Snow. We always do."

            A new sun rose the next morning. Its pure light bathing the forest with a white hue. But their pain was only that much brighter, and it was only the beginning of many long and sorrowful days that awaited them.

            

**Author's Note:**

> I forgot that Archie and the Blue Fairy were with the group when I wrote this. Oh well XP  
> leave comments and suggestions please! Next one is coming soon!


End file.
